Fwd: [canberrabirds] MacGregor Cockatiels were tourists

[martin butterfield <>]

I spent an hour or so this morning investigating the West Magregor area for Cockatiels without success.  I played their calls on my I-pod headphones and seemed to get an answer, but couldn't spot any cockatiels.  There did however seem to be an astonishing correleation between the drection of the answering calls and Dusky Woodswallows (in addition to the usual DW-S calls).

There were a good crop of at least 10 Bee-eaters in the area  (upstream from where they are usually reported) and many Red-rumped Parrots - which when glimpsed from the corner of my eye raised my hopes.  Any day giving good sightings of Bee-eaters and RRPs can't be considered bad.

I have thus concluded that the birds were neither refugees nor escaping internees, but eco- tourists.  Veni, vidi, exeunt con brio.  In Strine, they came, they saw (what is being done by the developers in this area), and fled smartly (back to the relatively pleasant drought ravaged Western Plains).

Martin

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Ian Fraser <>
Date: Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 9:21 AM
Subject: [canberrabirds] MacGregor Cockatiels
To: Cog line <>

An unusually birdless morning (starting at Mt Rogers) was redeemed by four Cockatiels in the vicinity of the old sewage ponds west of MacGregor. Nothing in their appearance or demeanour suggested anything but bona fide drought refugees (as opposed to prison escapees).

This of course follows Martyn's recent nearby report from Dunlop.

Happy summer all!

Ian

--

Ian Fraser, 
Environment Tours; Vertego Environmental Wordsmithing
GPO Box 3268, Canberra, ACT 2601
ph: 61 2 6249 1560  fax: 61 2 6247 3227
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